Marking 25 years
Wolfville Farmers’ Market season expands to celebrate a milestone anniversary
The Wolfville Farmers’ Market has reached a milestone anniversary.
“We are feeling the significance of having reached our 25th anniversary year this 2017,” says manager Kelly Marie Redcliffe.
On May 20, the outdoor market set up shop, with some outdoor vendors and stage returning for the nice weather. It wasn’t that long ago, she said, when all of the market vendors spent eight months of the year outdoors.
“We started with three vendors in the parking lot of the Robie Tufts in 1992,” she said. “We are honoured to have seen steady growth over the years thanks to so many passionate and inspiring people and organizations within a dedicated and positive community.”
Over the next year, Redcliffe says, there are plans to share stories of thanks that focus on some of the people, organizations and moments that helped the market grow over the years.
Looking ahead
While the market is celebrating its past, “it is the future that excites us. We cannot help but continue to blaze a trail forward.”
There are a number of new projects planned this year, including the launch of WFM2GO, a new online store and weekly delivery service starting in July with over 10 vendors. Community Hubs will be set up in Canning and Berwick, or people can pick up their orders at the market itself.
“The website for this project is being built as we speak and will be ready for viewing within a month,” Redcliffe said.
The market has decided that its 25th anniversary project will be to start the process of raising an endowment of $100,000 in support of the Market Food Bucks Project. This effort provides ‘market money’ to help 20 low income families participate in the market as consumers for 10 weeks each year.
“Participants get connected to their local community, meet farmers, and get to choose fresh local ingredients. We will be working with the Rotary Club of Wolfville as well as other community partners on this project,” she said, adding that there is also a plan to work with interested wealth managers to help find investors looking to support a project like this through their investment portfolio or wills.
To help commemorate this year, Laura Macdonald of the ECMA award-winning Deep Hollow Print, will be creating a limited edition print and a special commemorative poster and card, which Redcliffe says will be sold at the information booth this summer.
But it’s not just our anniversary year, she adds.
“It is just another year too, with all the usual steadfast goodness,” she said. The Wednesday Community Market and Supper already returned May 17.
There may be some physical improvements coming to the building this year as well, she said.
“This coming year, the Wolfville Farmers’ Market is hoping to continue with infrastructure improvements that could include a new roof, solar panels and heat pumps, depending on how successful we are with grants.”